1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foam fractionator such as a vortex foam fractionator which removes proteins from an aquatic environment by skimming. In the apparatus of the present invention, a vortex is created by propeller means located at the bottom of an internal chamber, centrally located within a main reaction chamber. Air sucked from the atmosphere by the vortex passes down through the central chamber and is dispensed outwardly into the main chamber where air bubbles form and rise to the surface. The air bubbles attract protein deposits which stick together resulting in the formation of a protein containing surface foam which is collected within a collection cup. The propeller means include a first propeller positioned within a central tube which forms an air vortex, and a second propeller which pumps air into descending water flow passing over an upper edge of the central pump tube.
2. Discussion of the Background
Filtration methods are utilized in both aquaculture and aquaristics and permit a user to keep a water quality level sufficiently high so as to duplicate an aquatic ecosystem and even achieve the reproduction of some species in captivity. These filtration methods can be divided into three general groups depending on their function. A first group involves mechanical filters which are used in many water filtration systems and function to trap and retain water-borne particles inside a media that can be discarded or washed and re-used once it is saturated. Examples of mechanical filters involve floss, sponges, sand filters and sub-micronic filters.
A second group of filtering systems is a biological-type filtering system. Since bacterial action occurs on all ecosystems to degrade organic and inorganic matter to less complex by-products and create in the process a more adequate environment for higher forms of life, several methods of water purification that utilize bacterial colonies to bio-degrade other animals' waste have been developed. During this process, a delicate balance is achieved inside an artificial environment. Biological filters create a symbiotic relation between bacteria and the rest of the organisms that inhabit the system. An example of biological filter devices are under-gravel plates, wet/dry systems, etc.
A third group of filters involves chemical filters. These filters can basically absorb impurities dissolved in water and retain them inside a media. Chemical filters are not the same as mechanical filters which just absorb particles, chemical filters use electrochemical force to attract the impurities to themselves. Examples of chemical filters include activated carbon, de-ionizers, molecular absorption media and protein skimmers.
Protein skimmers basically involve three types of processes. These processes include a co-current protein skimmer, a counter-current protein skimmer and a venturi protein skimmer. These protein skimmers basically use the concept of mixing air with water to achieve a skimming action. That is, a protein skimmer is a chemical filtering device that works by using air bubbles for water purification.
In an artificial aquatic environment organic compounds, proteins among them, accumulate by the metabolic waste of animals and plants, the slow decay of matter, and the addition of food to the system. In nature, these compounds are bio-degraded, and utilized also by plants for their own metabolism. In a closed artificial environment, it is difficult to prevent an accumulation of organic compounds capable of damaging the closed environment. As a result, partial water changes are needed to perform and maintain adequate water conditions. Even though bacterial action in plants can take care of much of the work to keep an aquarium system healthy, water changes are necessary nevertheless because bacteria and plants also produce their own waste that, although it is much less toxic to higher organisms, needs to be removed periodically.
Conventional protein skimmers have drawbacks in that they do not adequately prevent the buildup of waste including bacterial by-products in water that could be detrimental to the well being of a delicate organism and adversely affects the quality of the water.